Sam's Journal
by Dreamboat Kicks
Summary: I think the title is pretty self-explanatory. I'm writing a bunch of excerpts from Sam's journal and this is the first one. Please read and tell me whether I should continue. All comments welcome.
1. A New Life

May, 1401 S.R.  
  
At the Green Dragon  
  
The Gaffer says that keeping a journal is a good idea and he's been getting on my case about starting one for a while. I thought about it off and on, but Mr. Bilbo's disappearing was the only out of the ordinary thing that's ever happened in the Shire until today. (Well, except his going off on that adventure, but that was so long ago I don't remember much about it.) Today seems like a good day to start a journal because I feel like my calm, peaceful life has ending, and an exciting, scary one has just begun. I don't quit e know how I feel about that. Part of me wants to live peacefully and non eventfully to the end of my days, like the Gaffer, but another part of me's been feeling more and more restless for a long time. I've been wanting to do more than just gardening, so I've been doing more and more spying for Merry and Pippin. It was because of that I just might be going off on an adventure like Mr. Bilbo's.  
  
What happened was that I was trimming the hedge for Mr. Frodo, and I was getting restless again, and part of me was thinking that there had to be something better to do than trimming that hedge, and the other part was lecturing me on being a good servant for a good master, and then I heard Gandalf talking to Mr. Frodo inside. The window was closed and I knew that something big was up, because Frodo never closes the window on a sunny day. Then I heard Gandalf say something about the Ring that Merry's been babbling on about for ages. I kept trimming the hedge, but somehow, I never managed to make myself move out from under the window. Gandalf kept talking about Elves, and a fiery mountain, and an Enemy, and then he said that Mr. Frodo should leave the Shire. I had been fascinated by the story, but when he said that about Mr. Frodo leaving, I got all choked up. He must have heard me, because he reached down over the sill, and before I realized what was happening, he caught me by the ear, jerked me up, and accused me of eavesdropping. I was flustered, startled, and embarrassed (Mr. Frodo was looking at me with a very jarred and shocked expression on his face), so the only excuse I could come up with was something silly about there not being any eaves at Bag End. Needles to say, that made him quite angry, and I was terrified that he would turn me into some freak of nature, but he only lectured me a bit, and then he actually said I could go with Mr. Frodo. I was so excited about seeing the Elves (Gandalf had said that Frodo should see them before he left the Shire) and so happy about not being left behind that I bust into tears.  
  
I think I'll stop for now. Some of the folks here keep giving me odd looks. Besides, Ted just came in. It may be wicked of me, but I've got a very strong urge to invite him over here and gloat a little about Gandalf believing in the Elves. If there's one thing that git can't shrug off it's the knowledge of wizards. They're not called The Wise for nothing. 


	2. Fleeing Weathertop

June 17, 1401 S.R.  
Somewhere near Weathertop  


My thoughts are all jumbled up, and I think they'd sort themselves out better in a letter than in a normal entry. So I'm going to write one.  
  
Dear Frodo,  
You are my best friend and my master, and I want you to know that I trust your judgment. I know you trust Strider and believe me Mr. Frodo, I'm _trying_ to. Really, truly, I am. But I just can't. Frankly, I don't know how you can expect me to. Nobody knows his past. He knows too much you, me, Merry, Pippin, and your Ring. He's extremely good at disappearing and reappearing at unexpected times. And to top it all off, Mr. Frodo, he disappeared right after those foul Black Rider things stabbed you. Merry and Pippin are on the lookout for him, but I really don't expect him to return. Don't worry, Frodo. I'll take care of you the best I know how if he doesn't. And I'll keep trying to trust him if he does.  
yours faithfully,  
Sam  
  
Well. I don't know if I made any more sense in a letter after all, but it doesn't really matter. It wasn't pointless. Mr. Frodo will read it at the end of this journey, whenever that will be. (See, he caught me writing a few weeks ago and asked me what I was doing. I told him and he asked if he could read it. I said he could as soon as he was sitting in a cozy armchair in front of a roaring fire.)  
  
  


June 19, 1401 S.R.  
Resting. Thank goodness.  


Well. Strider came back after all. He came back almost as soon as Mr. Frodo came to, and he had some herbs for his shoulder. I didn't want him to touch Frodo at first, but he seemed to know what he was doing when he prepared the herbs, so I decided it was safe. I asked him what the Black Riders had done to Frodo, since the only thing I could see was a white mark on his shoulder but Strider seemed unusually worried. He said that Riders had given him a wound that would bend him to their will. I've been hoping desperately that he was wrong, but Frodo's been doing very poorly and I'm starting to believe there's something seriously wrong with him. His eyes are all glassy, he can't focus, and he squints at us whenever we try to talk to him. Strider said he's loosing his sight, which is the first stage. He's also been shivering and shaking at night, and he can't use his stabbed arm.  
Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What would the Gaffer do?  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  



	3. Rivendell

  
June 21, 1401 S.R.  
In Frodo's room at Rivendell  


I HATE THE LOT OF THEM! There. I've said it. Well, written it anyway. And I feel better. Not great, but better. All I want to do is sit here with Frodo, and they WON'T LET ME! Day and night it's Go tell Elrond that Frodo's still not woken, Sam', I need some more medicine. Sam, will you get me some?', Sam you need your sleep.' When Merry said that, I told him that I would get plenty sleep right there in Frodo's room if only everyone would stop badgering me. Then he glanced at Pippin. Pippin looked at me nervously and said in a quiet voice Please, Sam. You need a rest. If you won't go to your room and sleep, will you at least come down for dinner and listen to the Elves with us? For some reason, that was the last straw. I nearly bit poor Pippin's head off. I snarled at him and said If you want do me some good, you can take yourself and Merry right back downstairs so I don't have to look at you! They stared at me with wide eyes, looking extremely surprised and hurt, but I didn't show them any mercy. I just shouted I SAID IT AND I MEAN IT! So they ran out of the room, slamming the door behind them. That was about half an hour ago.  
  
  
  


later  


Oh, dear. I've just read over what I've written, and I feel wretched. I know they're right. It was probably lack of sleep and food that made me take everything out on them. I'm going to go downstairs and try to apologize, even though I'm no good with words.  
  
  
  
  
  


even later  


I was wandering through the halls, looking for Merry and Pippin, when I ran into Gandalf. He was leaning against a pillar, smoking his pipe, and he said  
I wondered when you'd be down, Sam Gamgee. I blushed, said I was sorry, and that I knew they were right. That's a good thing, Sam, he said. But you want to be more careful. You don't make friends so easily that you can throw away the ones you have.  
I know, I admitted. How upset are they? And do you know where they are?  
They are in the Hall of Fire listening to the stories and songs. I think they will let you join them, even though they are still quite upset by your remarks this morning.  
So I went and found them and apologized over and over. They forgave me and said they didn't blame me (much.) Now we're sitting in the Hall, trying to keep awake. I must admit that the singing is quite stunning. I'll listen to one more song. Maybe two. Then I'll go to my room and get some sleep.   
  



End file.
